Learn Hardcore Greek: Νομίζω ότι η σχέση μου με τη μαμά μου είναι πολύ καλή. - I think that my relationship with my mom is very good.

Νομίζω ότι… = I think that…
Εγώ νομίζω ότι… is also correct, but adding εγώ usually adds emphasis, like I (as opposed to others) think that…

What exactly does ότι do here? Can I use πως instead?

Here ότι is a conjunction meaning that, introducing a subordinate clause:

Νομίζω ότι η σχέση μου… = I think that my relationship…

In modern Greek, after verbs like νομίζω, λέω, πιστεύω, you’ll often hear both:

Νομίζω ότι η σχέση μου…
Νομίζω πως η σχέση μου…

Both are correct and mean the same in this context. Very roughly:

ότι = a bit more neutral / standard
πως = slightly more conversational in many speakers’ usage

Don’t confuse:

ότι (no comma, usually unstressed) = that (conjunction)
ό,τι (with comma and accent) = whatever / anything that
πώς (with accent) = how (question word)

Why is it η σχέση and not το σχέση? What gender is σχέση?

Σχέση is a feminine noun in Greek, so it takes the feminine article:

η σχέση = the relationship
της σχέσης = of the relationship (genitive)
τη σχέση = the relationship (accusative)

Greek assigns grammatical gender to nouns; you just have to learn the gender with each noun. Many nouns ending in -ση are feminine (e.g. η γνώση, η κίνηση, η χρήση, η σχέση), so η σχέση is the standard form in the nominative.

Why do we say η σχέση μου with the article η? Can I just say σχέση μου for “my relationship”?

In Greek, when you use the weak possessive pronoun (μου, σου, του, της, μας, σας, τους), the normal pattern is:

article + noun + possessive
η σχέση μου = my relationship

So:

η σχέση μου = standard, neutral
σχέση μου without the article sounds unusual in a neutral sentence; it’s used only in special contexts (e.g. vocative, headlines, or for a particular stylistic effect).

For everyday speech and writing, you should practically always include the article:

η μαμά μου, ο πατέρας μου, το σπίτι μου, η σχέση μου

Why is μου placed after σχέση and not before, like in English “my relationship”?

Greek has two kinds of possessive forms:

Weak (clitic) forms – go after the noun:
- η σχέση μου = my relationship
- το βιβλίο σου = your book
- ο φίλος μας = our friend
Strong forms – used for emphasis, built with δικός/δική/δικό:
- η δική μου σχέση = my own relationship / my relationship (not someone else’s)

In the sentence you gave, μου is the weak form, so it must follow the noun:

✅ η σχέση μου
❌ μου σχέση (incorrect in standard Greek)

Why is μου repeated in η σχέση μου με τη μαμά μου? Isn’t one μου enough?

Literally the phrase is:

η σχέση μου = my relationship
με τη μαμά μου = with my mom

So μου refers to σχέση first, and then to μαμά.

You can say:

Η σχέση μου με τη μαμά μου είναι πολύ καλή.
My relationship with my mom is very good.

Technically, you can drop the first μου:

Η σχέση με τη μαμά μου είναι πολύ καλή.

This usually still means my relationship with my mom (context tells you whose relationship it is), but it’s slightly less explicit. Including μου after σχέση makes it crystal clear that the subject is my relationship, not, for example, her relationship with my mom.

What does με mean here, and what case does it take?

Με is a preposition meaning with.

Prepositions in Greek usually take the accusative case, and με is no exception. So:

με τη μαμά μου
- μαμά is in the accusative
- τη is the feminine accusative article
- μου is the possessive (my)

Other examples:

με τον φίλο μου = with my (male) friend
με την αδερφή μου = with my sister
με το παιδί μου = with my child

Why is it τη μαμά and not η μαμά here? And what about τη vs την?

Η μαμά is the nominative form (subject of a sentence):

Η μαμά μου δουλεύει. = My mom works.

After the preposition με, the noun goes into the accusative case, so the article changes to τη(ν):

με τη μαμά μου = with my mom

About τη vs την:

The full form is την (feminine accusative singular article).
Before many consonants (including μ), in everyday writing you often see the -ν dropped: τη μαμά.
τη μαμά and την μαμά are both accepted in modern usage; pronunciation in fast speech is almost the same.

So your sentence’s με τη μαμά μου is perfectly fine and very common.

What is the difference between μαμά and μητέρα?

Both mean mother, but they differ in register (formality):

μαμά = mum / mom
- informal, affectionate, everyday word
- what children typically call their mother
μητέρα = mother
- more formal / polite
- used in official contexts, more distant tone, or in careful speech

Compare:

Νομίζω ότι η σχέση μου με τη μαμά μου είναι πολύ καλή.
= casual, natural in conversation.
Νομίζω ότι η σχέση μου με τη μητέρα μου είναι πολύ καλή.
= sounds more formal or more “careful”/distanced.

Why do we use είναι here? Could I also say something with έχω, like in English “I have a very good relationship with my mom”?

Είναι is the 3rd person singular of είμαι = to be.

In your sentence, η σχέση μου με τη μαμά μου is the subject, and πολύ καλή is the predicate adjective:

η σχέση μου με τη μαμά μου (subject)
είναι (is)
πολύ καλή (very good)

So literally: I think that my relationship with my mom is very good.

Greek can also use έχω καλή σχέση με…, just like English:

Νομίζω ότι έχω πολύ καλή σχέση με τη μαμά μου.
= I think (that) I have a very good relationship with my mom.

Both are common; the difference is only in what you put as the subject:

Η σχέση μου… είναι… = My relationship is…
Έχω καλή σχέση με… = I have a good relationship with…

What is πολύ in είναι πολύ καλή? Is it an adjective or an adverb? Could I say πάρα πολύ?

Here πολύ is an adverb meaning very, modifying the adjective καλή:

πολύ καλή = very good

As an adverb, πολύ is invariable (it doesn’t change form for gender/number/case).

Compare:

είναι πολύ καλή = she/it is very good
είναι πολύ καλός = he/it is very good
είναι πολύ καλό = it is very good

Πάρα πολύ is a stronger version:

είναι πάρα πολύ καλή = she/it is extremely / really very good

Note: πολύς / πολλή / πολύ (with endings) can also be an adjective/pronoun meaning much, many, but that is a different use. In your sentence it’s the adverb πολύ = very.

Why is καλή (feminine) used and not καλός? How does agreement work?

Greek adjectives agree with the noun they describe in:

gender (masculine / feminine / neuter)
number (singular / plural)
case (nominative / accusative / etc.)

The adjective καλός has forms:

καλός (masc.)
καλή (fem.)
καλό (neut.)

The noun σχέση is feminine, singular, nominative (it’s the subject), so the adjective must match:

η σχέση μου … είναι πολύ καλή

If the noun were masculine or neuter, you’d use:

Ο φίλος μου είναι πολύ καλός. = My (male) friend is very good.
Το βιβλίο είναι πολύ καλό. = The book is very good.

Can I change the word order, for example: Η σχέση μου με τη μαμά μου είναι πολύ καλή, νομίζω? Is that still natural?

Yes, Greek allows fairly flexible word order, and both are natural:

Νομίζω ότι η σχέση μου με τη μαμά μου είναι πολύ καλή.
- Neutral order: first I think that…, then the statement.
Η σχέση μου με τη μαμά μου είναι πολύ καλή, νομίζω.
- The statement comes first, and νομίζω at the end sounds a bit like an afterthought or a softener: My relationship with my mom is very good, I think.

Other natural variations (with the same meaning):

Νομίζω πως η σχέση μου με τη μαμά μου είναι πολύ καλή.
Η σχέση μου με τη μαμά μου, νομίζω, είναι πολύ καλή. (slightly more literary)

So yes, you can move νομίζω or the clause around, as long as the internal order of each phrase stays correct.